Farm bill on the move as Senate hearings set
<div class="field-byline"> NAWG </div> The agriculture community took a number of important steps toward a 2012 Farm Bill, with commodity groups meeting in Washington to discuss the issues and the Senate Agriculture Committee announcing a hearing schedule. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/farm-bill-move-senate-hearings-set" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
DOL re-proposing part of child labor rule
<div class="field-byline"> NCC </div> In response to requests from congressional members and the public, including comments submitted by the NCC and other agricultural interest organizations, the Department of Labor (DOL) is ?re-proposing? the portion of their proposed child labor rule regarding the agricultural parental exemption. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/dol-re-proposing-part-child-labor-rule" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Cotton flow strides conveyed to USDA
<div class="field-byline"> NCC </div> During a Washington, D.C., meeting, cotton industry representatives briefed USDA officials on industry efforts to improve cotton flow and sought the agency?s cooperation with future industry initiatives. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/cotton-flow-strides-conveyed-usda" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Farm groups discuss next farm bill
<div class="field-byline"> NCC </div> In a statement issued by 13 farm and commodity groups, the organizations stated they are committed to work together to come up with a viable farm policy. Also confirmed is their common belief that Congress should pass and the President should sign a strong new farm bill into law this year. The law expires at year?s end and producers ? like all job creators ? need certainty from Washington. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/farm-groups-discuss-next-farm-bill" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Super Bowl goes organic
<div class="field-byline"> Shayla Mae Bailey, AMS Public Affairs </div> The push to bring organic and locally-grown options to the concession stand came from a partnership between non-profits that support family farms, celebrities and Centerplate, the NFL?s largest concession provider. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/management/super-bowl-goes-organic" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Skin in the game may help dairy industry
<div class="field-byline"> Phil Durst, Michigan State University Extension </div> One of the complaints that dairy owners often have about employees is they don?t seem to care or that they don?t take ownership in the operation. Yet, should we be surprised when employees don?t take ownership in a business in which they have no ownership? <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/management/skin-game-may-help-dairy-industry" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
California Crop Weather: rain, warm temps spur field crops
Pre-emergent spraying, irrigation, orchard removal, planting, and pruning continued in California nut orchards. Growers also applied some fertilizers, herbicides, and soil amendments. Walnut orchards were pruned. <div class="field-image-promo"> <a href="/tree-nuts/california-crop-weather-rain-warm-temps-spur-field-crops" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop imagecache-linked imagecache-med_crop_linked"><img src="http://westernfarmpress.com/site-files/westernfarmpress.com/files/imagecache/med_crop/uploads/2012/02/winter-wheat-usda-photo-1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop" width="355" height="200" /></a> </div> <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/tree-nuts/california-crop-weather-rain-warm-temps-spur-field-crops" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Attractive but unbalanced dairy growth creating challenges
<div class="field-byline"> Rabobank </div> Solid market growth, supply constraints and a structural shift in the costs of producing milk may sustain high milk and dairy commodity prices over the medium term. But this won't translate to increased profits for all. The unprecedented leap in farm gate milk prices in recent years has caused the position of dairy farmers to generally improve, but less than many outsiders might imagine. <div class="field-image-promo"> <a href="/markets/attractive-unbalanced-dairy-growth-creating-challenges" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop imagecache-linked imagecache-med_crop_linked"><img src="http://westernfarmpress.com/site-files/westernfarmpress.com/files/imagecache/med_crop/uploads/2012/02/dairy-cows.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop" width="355" height="200" /></a> </div> <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/markets/attractive-unbalanced-dairy-growth-creating-challenges" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Wine production gives blueberry producers a market for extra berries
<div class="field-byline"> Robert H. Wells, University of Florida </div> Wine production offers blueberry producers a market for extra berries they might not be able to sell due to slight imperfections or late ripening. <div class="field-image-promo"> <a href="/grapes/wine-production-gives-blueberry-producers-market-extra-berries" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop imagecache-linked imagecache-med_crop_linked"><img src="http://westernfarmpress.com/site-files/westernfarmpress.com/files/imagecache/med_crop/uploads/2012/02/bluez.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-med_crop" width="355" height="200" /></a> </div> <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/wine-production-gives-blueberry-producers-market-extra-berries" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Child labor controversy grows like grassfire
Following uproar in the agriculture sector and pushback from Congress, the Department of Labor has decided to revisit the language of a proposed rule regarding children who work their family?s farm. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/child-labor-controversy-grows-grassfire" target="_blank">read more</a></p>


set this way for a little over 50 years. That’s not very long, in historical terms, and it could possibly be changed again.If you are an individual taxpayer, you are required to file either a return or an extension of time to file (Form 4868) by April 15th. Corporate and other legal entities are required to file their federal income tax return by March 15th, and if not, they also must file an extension of time to file. What this extension does not do, is to extend the amount of time you have to pay any taxes due the government. So, if you are unable to ready your personal or business financial information in a timely manner, and have no reasonable estimate as to the amount of tax you may owe, you can expect to pay some form of penalty.In the years following WWII, the burden of tax responsibility was shared fairly equally by the corporate world and the individual taxpayer. Today, however, the shift has been toward more responsibility on the part of the individual, and less on the business backs. To demonstrate how special interests have begun to overtake American politics, during 1867, public opinion was so strong, and the outcry of the general public so loud, that the President and Congress abolished the income tax law in 1872, and from 1872 until 1913 almost all of the revenue for government operation came from the sale of liquor, beer, wine, and tobacco. Although the income tax did make a small come back in 1894, it was found unconstitutional in 1895 by the U.S. Supreme Court because it was not apportioned among the states in conformity with the Constitution.An interesting time during the formation and eventual taxation of America occurred during 1918. Until that point in time, the vast majority of tax revenue for government funding came from alcoholic beverage sales and high tariffs. In 1919, Congress passed an amendment to the Constitution that made it illegal to manufacture or sell alcohol; what would replace the revenue? American federal income tax was the proposed solution, and we’ve been paying since. Although during the great years known as Prohibition, many “revenue agents� spent their days tracking down “moon shiners� not tax evaders, the American citizen, the individual taxpayer took on the heavy burden of supporting government revenue, and it has become heavier with each passing year. On a side note, although “moon shining� was illegal, the “moon shiners� still had to pay taxes on the moon shine so they were incarcerated for tax evasion and not “moon shining�. Taxes seem to always come into play when looking for a way to prosecute someone. Then, during 1942, the Revenue Act of 1942 was passed and the “New Deal� era was begun. Since that point in time, government control, power, and expenditures has continued to increase at a phenomenal rate, and today the American taxpayer supports a trillion dollar giant known as the United States government. This ravenous beast consumes more than 10% of our earned income each year, and if the Social Security Administration has their way, will continue to consume even more of our weekly earnings. We can foresee no other relief in sight.Currently, all the tax regulations for this country are the responsibility of the Internal Revenue Service, and there are four major divisions of this government office: the Wage and Investment, Small/Business Self-Employed, the Large and Midsize Business and the Tax Exempt and Government Entities. Each division has responsibilities as they pertain to their individual specialty.There continues to be talk on the hill to change the way taxes are calculated and collected. The most common themes are the flat tax and the national sales tax. Until Congress actually has the courage to step up to the plate and change it, taxes will remain as cumbersome as always.


Here are some more estate planning articles...